{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
Arizona 2, Colorado 1
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 27, 2015
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Referees: Dave Jackson, Brad Watson
Linesmen: John Grandt, Vaughan Rody
Attendance: 18064

DENVER -- The Arizona Coyotes have struggled this season when trailing entering the third period. A night after a tough loss, they found the magic for a comeback victory.

Left winger Mikkel Boedker scored at 4:18 of overtime and the Coyotes beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night.

Boedker added an assist and defenseman Michael Stone scored the other goal for the Coyotes, who rebounded from falling in overtime to Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The Coyotes had not won a game when trailing after two periods this season but dug down deep to steal one from the Avalanche. Arizona is now 1-12-2 when trailing entering the third period.

"We started by hanging around long enough to give us a chance to win," coach Dave Tippet said.

The Coyotes can thank good goaltending and Boedker's fresh legs for breaking the drought. Boedker got the game-winner when he picked up the puck in the neutral zone and skated in on Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov, and beat him with a snap shot as defenseman Tyson Barrie desperately tried to stop him.

"I just got off the bench so I think I was more fresh than the guys on the ice," Boedker said. "I was able to have a step on Barrie."

It was his team-leading 12th of the season and third overtime goal, tying him for the NHL lead.

"It's one thing to get the chances, it's another thing to capitalize, and that's what he's done," Tippet said.

Goaltender Anders Lindback had 38 saves for Arizona (17-15-3), including one on center Carl Soderberg with 3:12 left in the third that kept the game tied.

"That's when I need to come up with big saves at big times for us to be able to win games like this," Lindback said.

Varlamov had 26 saves and right winger Jarome Iginla scored for Colorado. It was Iginla's 599th career goal.

"Now that I get that close I think about it a little bit, but after that you're just trying to contribute," Iginla said. "Every one you get is exciting. One away."

The Avalanche (17-17-2) have lost two straight after winning five in a row to get back to .500. Colorado had not played in six days.

Iginla scored late in the first period to get within a goal of his major milestone and give Colorado a 1-0 lead. His backhander went off the skate of defenseman Klas Dahlbeck and past Lindback at 17:07.

It was Iginla's 10th of the season and second in three games after going nine games without one. His next goal will make him the 19th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals. Jari Kurri is 18th with 601.

"It'll feel good to get it and hopefully get it over with and not be thinking about it and just play," Iginla said.

The score stayed 1-0 through the second period. Varlamov, who bounced back from a bad night against Toronto on Monday, had 12 saves in the middle frame to keep the Avalanche in the lead.

"It was a 1-0 game and we had a chance to make it 2-0," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "We have to find ways to score that big goal."

The Coyotes made them pay when they finally got one past Varlamov at 2:34 of the third. Boedker carried the puck into the Avalanche zone, passed it back to Stone as he crossed the blue line, and his shot beat Varlamov high to tie it.

It was his third of the season.

The Coyotes played the third period without right winger Steve Downie because of an upper-body injury.

NOTES: Arizona C Martin Hanzal was out with a lower-body injury suffered Saturday night against Los Angeles. The Coyotes did not recall anyone from the AHL and played just 11 forwards against Colorado. ... Avalanche G Reto Berra is out with an ankle injury suffered while knocking around a soccer ball before the loss to Toronto on Dec. 28. Berra is expected to be out for 10 days so the team recalled G Calvin Pickard from San Antonio. ... Coyotes RW Steve Downie was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch Saturday. ... Avalanche D Nate Guenin skated at practice Saturday but was scratched Sunday. He left this past Monday's game with a head injury.
Top Game Performances
 
Arizona   Colorado
Mikkel Boedker 2 Points Jarome Iginla 1
Mikkel Boedker 1 Goals Jarome Iginla 1
Mikkel Boedker 1 Assists Nathan MacKinnon 1
N/A Power Play Goals Jarome Iginla 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Anders Lindback .974 Save Percentage Semyon Varlamov .929
Anders Lindback 38 Saves Semyon Varlamov 26
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Arizona 28 2 0-3 2-3 27 27
Colorado 39 1 1-3 3-3 17 34
Upcoming Games
  • Colorado will play their next game on the road against San Jose. The Avalanche have a W/L % of .412 after a win and .526 after a loss.
  • Arizona will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .474 after a loss.